The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-12-28

masculine hearts caught at the rebound
By this time DR. Blake knew that his case
was hopeless with the chit of girl he had
been temporarily infatuated Should she
strike while the iron was hot?
'''When Miss Doris and your nephew are
married, you and Doctor will be left quite
alone!" said Mrs Mack, with tender look,
which was entirely lost on the D octor, who
had subsidized into his waking slumber As
in vision he again saw Doris deep eyes
looking into his own with the strange in
tensity which once before had thrilled him
through and through And, extending his
arms, DR.. Blake said, aloud:
Shy darling-come.
Mrs Mack saw no vision The outstretched
arms were joyful reality So also was
the tender invitation; and without an in
slant of delay she literally fell on the
Doctors neck, about which her arms
clasped themselves with considerable te-
naclty
sP-Paul, she sobbed, Historically, mon I
shall never leave you-never!" and chung
the tighter to the scarcely awakened doc
tor as Rob, thinking matters had gone quite
far enough, suddenly turned up the gas!
Now Doris had chosen that evening to tell
her guardian of her future plans Perhaps,
too, she might learn from his own lips that
there was some mistake as to his matri-
monial intentions
Her foot was on the library threshold as
Bob threw the glow of gaslight on the in
teresting tableau have just mentioned.
And casting one glance thereat, Doris fed
upstairs to her room But had she fingered
how n,.
Blake utter something akin to mild profan-
ity, and seen him rise to bis feet so suddenly
as to nearly precipitate the clinging widow
over hassock!
sMrs. Mack?" he sternly exclaimed, but the
lady, forcibly overcome by sense of maid
emily modesty, had fed.
"And Miss Doris see it ALI" said Bob, in
audible soliloquy. as he stood staring in a
dazed sort of way at the open door
go to bed, Bob" sharply commanded DR..
Blake, in great perturbation of spirit What
could he have said or done in his dreamy
abstraction that Mrs Mack, who was the
pink of propriety, should have thrown her
self into his arms? Good Heavens, what q
terrible situation! Come what might he
would see Doris the first thing in the morn
ing and explain it
When a couple Of hours after sunrise DR.
Blake opened his heavy eyes on New Years
morn, they rested at once on framed por-
trait hanging against the opposite wall
Where had it come from Who was it in
tended for?
For closer view showed the Doctor that
the general contour Of the features were his
own So also was the blonde mustache. but
| here to his own mind the resemblance
ceased The likeness between himself and
his nephew Paul had often been comment
| ed on This picture might have been Paul
with twenty years added to his age or him.
self with ten subtracted
With sad smile Doctor Blake read the
| inscription on a card pinned on the frame.
Anew Years gift for my (adear" erased)
guardian from his ("affectionate" erased)
ward
at is plain that Doris forte is not por-
trait painting" he said, with very audible
sigh. And then wondering how he should
introduce the awkward explanation he was
| meaning to make, the doctor went down to
breakfast
Replying rather CURLY to Mrs Macks af-
fectionate New Years greeting, DR.. Blake
| looked about the room.
sMiss Doris not down yets" he said, with
affected carelessness
Mrs Mack drew herself up primly.
Sarah tells me, Doctor, that at sunrise
this morning she let Miss Doris out at the
front door fully dressed for travelling and
| carrying a large hand sachel She gave no
explanation, but simply said she was going
' away for good and in due time would write